Layering Up For A Winter Run

Do you enjoy running outdoors? So many people love the ability to take a nice enjoyable run outdoors during the warmer months, and it can feel a bit claustrophobic when you need to head indoors for the winter months – but who says you HAVE to head inside? Not us! Sure, it may be a bit chilly, but there are ways to layer and still enjoy your outdoor runs! Ok, ok, we get it might sound a bit extreme, but truthfully layering up for a winter run doesn’t have to be difficult and it truly can make heading outdoors more enjoyable during this time of year. If you’re not really sure how to make the most of your layers, you’re in the right place because we’re sharing some of the best tips for layering up for a winter run.

Start With Your Feet
Ok, so if you’re planning to head outdoors for your run your feet are clearly a key component here. It’s suggested to choose running shoes that have minimal mesh material on them – this helps to prevent a lot of cold weather elements from affecting your feet (and getting your feet wet) as much. In addition to your shoe selection, you can’t forget about having the right kind of socks. Similar to the shoe selection, look for socks that are designed to actually wick away the wetness – this helps to keep your feet warmer and keep any wetness out of your feet.

Be Strategic in Your Layers
When it comes to the actual clothes and layers that you wear during the cooler weather, it’s important that you’re strategic. For starters, you need to start with a solid base layer. Some would argue that the base layer is the most important layer because it’s the layer that’s touching your skin and really keeping the body heat in. Many running experts suggest opting for a base layer that wicks away wetness (see a theme from the socks?) this helps to keep the moisture away from your body but the heat in. After you’ve got your base layer you need to get your insulation layer on track. This layer is dependent upon the weather and how cold you tend to get, but in general fleece type garments work well here – you want to continue the rule of opting for garments that wick away moisture but keep heat towards the body. Finally, your outer layer this is the layer that’s going to do a lot of protecting from the major weather elements like snow and rain. It’s suggested by many running experts to opt for a jacket that is wind AND water resistant, is long enough where it covers your butt and has a hood. These features are going to ensure that you’re covered (literally) in many different factors.

Hands and Head
Of course you don’t want to forget about your hands and your head/ears as these areas tend to get pretty cold pretty quickly. Finding gloves that follow the same consistent rule of wicking away moisture, is going to be crucial here, and don’t be afraid to layer multiple pairs if you find that your hands get really cold. For hats, make sure to find something that fits tightly over your head and ears – and actually stays in place so you don’t have a lot of movement when you’re running.